Friends of Thorpe Light Railway

Sunday 13 September 2026 Open Day
2026-09-13 12:30 - 16:00 UTC | Thorpe Light Railway, Thorpe Light Railway, Co. Durham, DL12 9TR, United Kingdom
Our last open day with unlimited train rides of 2026. Entry fee is only £4 per person (cash only please, sorry we are unable to take card payments), under 5s and members free. Entry fee includes as many train rides as you like, with the Rio Grande diesel loco pulling the train. Michael from Millie Moos snack van will be joining us, selling a range of tasty snacks and drinks.
We’re open from 12.30pm – 4pm. Plenty of free parking on site in the field.
Don’t forget – Whorlton Bridge is closed to all traffic (including pedestrian) until autumn 2026 so access is from south of the river only.

Heritage Open Day 2026 - behind the scenes at Thorpe Light Railway
2026-09-19 12:30 - 15:30
Once again we’re doing something a little different for the Heritage Open Days Festival. Come and join a behind-the-scenes tour to learn about the history of this miniature railway, and the work of the Friends to restore and operate it. Travelling by train, you will be able to get out at locations where the train doesn’t normally stop, to find out more about the building of the railway, the wildlife we share the site with, and get a close-up look at the locomotives at the engine shed. Tours will last about half an hour and will leave the station at approximately 1pm, 2pm and 3pm, subject to demand.
There will also be information boards including photographs, which show the three stages of the railway; its original incarnation as the Whorlton Lido Railway, through a period of hibernation and then its restoration and reopening as the Thorpe Light Railway.
This event is part of the national Heritage Open Days Festival and entry is free.
